The present invention relates to continuous dough processing lines. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for inserting or packing dough into containers.
Apparatuses for inserting dough into containers are generally known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,970 to Reid, et al., discloses one such packing apparatus. The dough packing apparatus of Reid, et al., includes a mechanism for rolling and slitting a dough sheet to form a plurality of longitudinally aligned adjacent rolls of dough; and a receiving mechanism for grouping the dough pieces, for example, in pairs, and for providing a predetermined space in between single pieces. In a form of the apparatus, the receiving mechanism includes a pair of vertically spaced endless conveyors with receiving cups on one side of the edges of the lower conveyor for initially holding the pieces. An upper conveyor is obliquely mounted and is adapted to contact the upper surfaces of the pieces located in the cups when they have reached a predetermined position, and thereafter roll them to the lower conveyor to the opposite edge thereof. From the edge of the lower conveyor, the dough pieces fall to an indexing drum which, in turn, retains them for a predetermined period of time and then transfers them to one of several supporting and guiding spoons mounted on an endless loading conveyor. A container dispenser provides containers to the loading conveyor which includes a provision for supporting the containers in position to receive the rolls from the spoons.
The spoons are arranged on the conveyor so as to lie generally perpendicular to the conveying direction. Specifically, fixed plates are mounted to the endless conveyor along each edge. A hinge mounts a supporting bracket to each of the plates. The supporting bracket supports a spoon generally over each respective plate. A container support is mounted to the supporting bracket at a discharge end of the spoon. A follower is secured to a free end of the supporting bracket remote from the hinge. The follower engages a stationary guide rail provided along the frame of the dough packing apparatus. The stationary guide rail includes bends such that its position varies with respect to the support frame along the longitudinal length of the support frame. The stationary guide rail controls the position of the follower and, thus, the support bracket attached thereto, so that as the follower rises and falls following the guide rail, the support bracket pivots on the hinge to tilt the spoon between an elevated position and a retracted position.
Although the general use of tilting spoons mounted to an endless conveyor to load dough pieces into containers performs satisfactorily, there is a need for a more robust machine that will operate faster to allow increased production speeds.